Method of forming endless rims for reels, wheels, frames, etc.



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METHOD 0F FORMING ENDLESS. RIMS FOR REELS', WHEELS, FRAIBS Filed April 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Shaet; 1

Inventor 57 German Attorney Aug METHUD OF E. R. GERMAN 1,819,678

FORMING ENDLESS RIMS FOR HEELS, WHEELS, FRAMES, ETC

Filed April 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor i l agar R. Germ an Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE EDGAR R. GERMAN, or noonEsrE-n, NEW YORK, ssIGnoE To TAYLOR .SHANTZ COMPANY, A CORPORATION on NEW $03K METHOD or FORMING EnnLEss RIMS FOR, REELS, WHEELS, FRAMES, ETC.

Application filed April 10,

This invention relates to the manufacture of metal reels, wheels, frames or any other article having an endless rim andthe invention has for its various objects:

5 To produce an endless rim from sheet metal stock at a minimum cost and with a minimum Waste of material.

To produce the endless rim-from a sheet metal band having a limited predetermined length and width.

To produce an endless tubular rim which, While being folded into the endless tube, has the spokes simultaneously fastened thereto.

To produce a reel in which wire sections are combined with sheet metal sections in a manner that Will produce a strong and rigid structure and one that is extremely light in weight.

To produce a reel inwhich the parts making up the reel can be finished individually z prior to their assembly so that when assembled, the completed reel is finished and need not go thru a final finishing process before use or shipment.

All these and other objects of this invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings, the specification and the appended claims forming a part thereof.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a top p an View of the metal blank from which the-endless rim is formed.

Figure2:is a cross section of the blank, the section being taken on the line. 200-2110 of Figure 1. l h

Figure 3 is a top planview of the elongated 1.1.3 trough formed up from the blank for the first step in the mechanical process of forming the endless rim.

Figure 4 is a cross section of the trough, the section being taken on the line 4w400 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the trough after its bottom has been pierced and a portion of it punched out" for thersecond step in the mechanical process of forming the a endless rim. v

. troughillustrating how it is expanded for 1929., Serial No. 354,126.

j Figure 9 is a cross section of the rim after ithas vbeen'rolled or formed into a shallow lnternal trough having both sides slightly crimped or curved and the bottom concaved for the fourth step in the mechanical process of forming the endless rim. v

' Figure 10 is a topplan view of the endless rim as it appears when it is completely expanded into a circular shape with the spokes and hub plate properly located within the rim ready to have the rim folded intoa tube to complete the rim and at the same time fasten the outer endsof the spokes thereto. Figure 11 isa transverse sectional View of the rim, spokes and hub plate illustrated in Figure 10, the section being taken onthe line 11a111w of'Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a" smilar transverse sectional .View of the rim, spokes and hub plate after the rim. has been folded into the tube and fastened to the outer ends of the spokes while the hub plate is fastened to the inner ends of the spokes concentric to the rim.

In the several figures of the drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts.

. The mechanical process and construction forming the subject matter of this invention as illustrated, described and claimed in this and a copending application Ser. No. 354,- 127 filed April 10, 1929 is especially adapted for .use in the manufacture of reels for moving picture films, butwithout going into the detailed application and construction, it is understood that the same process-and construction can be used for other structures such as wheels, frames, or other articles having endless rims or borders which are circular, symmetrical or irregular in outline. The mechanical process makes it possible to use aminimum amount. ofsheet metal for the rim with but very little-more material than goes into the construction of the rim.

l The various steps in the forming of the rim and the assembly of it with the spokes and the hub plate are illustrated in the figures of the drawings in which Figure 1 shows the original blank from which the rim is formed. This blank is in the form of a straight metal band having both of its ends rounded as illustrated in the figure. The length of the band and its width have predetermined dimensions so that the endless rim formed from it has a diameter and cross section which corresponds to the dimensionsof the wire spokes and hub plate with which the rim is combined to form one side of a reel.

For the first step in the mechanical process the blank 1, illustrated in Figure 1, is formed into the elongated trough 2 illustrated in Figure? This is done by folding up the sides and ends of the blank along the dotted lines indicated at 3. in Figure 1. The trough thus formed is then pierced and the bottom of it punched out for the second step in the mechanical process,.leaving but a small inwardly curved continuous flange 4 around the/sides and ends of the inside of the mutila'ted trough. 1 The sides-of the mutilated trough with the inwardly curved flange at the bottom are then expanded as illustrated in Figure '7 for the thirdv step. in the mechanical process and the endless rim thus formed rolled or formed into thecircular shape illustrated in Figure 10. Either during theexpansi-o-n of the sides of the mutilated trough or after the expansion hasbeen completed the endless rim is rolled or formed to crimp the straight edge of the rim inwardly at 5. and form a. curved flange at the top of the rim corresponding to. the ol iginalicurved flange 4 provided at the bottom of the rim. At the same time the straight edge. is c-rimped, the body of the rim bet-ween the curved flanges is. also slightly concaved to give it the cross. section illustrated in Figure 9.. This is not absolutely necessary but :by curving the bod-y of the rim in the same direction'in which it is later folded, the folding operation is thus facilitated.

In Figures 10 and 11 I have illustrated the rim fully expanded and formed into. a circular outline with the spokes 6, 6; and the hub plate. 7 properly located within the rim. As illustrated in Figure 10 the spokes 6, '6 are bent up. in pairs by forming an angular wire shape for each pair having the converging ends connected by a curved section while the outer free :endsare bent or flared outwardly concentric to. the rim against which they are placed.

\ The hub plate 7 is made up. of a sheet metal plate which is cut outinto the desired shape with curvedflanges formed-up. thereon. The curvature of these flanges correspond with the curvature of theconnecting sections of each pair of spokes so that these flanges can engage into. the connected ends of each pair odispokesand then be told'ed or bent over these ends to clamp; the inner ends of the well as light and thus combines the desirable spokes firmly to the hub plate while the outer ends of the spokes are clamped to the rim as the rim is folded into a tube around the outwardly flaring outer ends of the spokes. This is illustrated in Figure 12 which shows that at the point where the spokes enter the rim the sides thereof encircle the radially projccting ends of the spokes while the outwardly flaring concentric ends are completely encircled by the tubular rim. In this way the spokes are anchored in place in the rim against lateral as well as radial displacement. The outer ends of the spokes are thus properly spaced and held in place by the rim while the inner ends of the spokes are properly spacedand held in place by the hub plate 7.

From an inspection of Figures 11 and 12 it will be seen that in fastening the curved inner connecting ends of each pair of spokes to the hub plate a considerable bearing surface be- 3 tween the spokes and the hub plate is provided. This bearing surface between the spokes and the hub plate extends radially from the periphery toward the center of the hub plate and secures for the Spokes a firm connection and one which will not permit the innerends of the spokes to rock on the hub plate. A reel made up of sides constructed in the manner described is therefore rigid as features of both wire made reels and sheet metal made reels at a manufacturing cost below the costiof either-the wire or the sheet metal reels. I claim:

1. The method of forming an endless rim from a single blank having: a limited length which consists in forming the blank into a trough having its ends closed and then piercing the bottom of the trough between the closed ends; and expanding the sides of the trough to form'the endless band.

2. The method of forming a tubular endless rim "from 'a blank having alimited length which consists in forming the blank into a one trough having its ends closed, piercing the bottomof said trough between the. closed ends, expanding the mutilated trough and rolling the expanded sides into. an internal concaved channel of predetermined outline and then folding the concaved channel into a tube.

3. The method of forming an endless tubular rim from a blank having a'limited length which consists in forming the blank into a trough having a rounded bottom and roundno ed ends, piercing the rounded bottom bycutting out the central portion of'it and leaving but a narrow inwardly curved flange at the bottom of the sides. and ends of the mutilated trough, expanding the sides-of the mu- 5 t-ilated trough and crimping the straight upper edge of the sides and ends into an: inwardly curved flange and then folding said expanded sides into a tubular rim lay-bringing together-the inwardly curved flanges of 1130 the expanded sides of the mutilated trough.

4. The method of forming an endless tubular rim from a blank having a limited length which consists in forming the blank into a trough having a rounded bottom and rounded ends, piercing the bottom of said trough between the rounded ends to form a continuous inwardly curved flange around the inside of the sides and ends of the mutilated trough, expanding the sides of the mutilated trough and rolling an inwardly curved flange around the top of the sides and ends and form the sides and ends of the mutilated trough into a continuous endless band having curved flanges and then folding said band into an endless tubular rim by bringing the curved flanges together.

5. The method of forming an endless rim from a single blank having a limited length which consists in turning up the ends and sides of the blank at an angle thereto to form a continuous flange around said blank, then piercing said blank within the encircling flange and then spreading the pierced blank into an endless rim.

6. The method of forming an endless rim from a single blank having a limited length which consists in turning up the ends and sides of the blank at an angle theretoto form a continuous flange around said blank, then piercing said blank within the encircling flange, then expanding the pierced blank and its encircling flange and reforming the end-. less rim thus formed into a circular form.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDGAR R. GERMAN. 

